About Me

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No Fixed Abode, Home Counties, United Kingdom
I’m a 60-year-old Aspergic gardening CAD-Monkey. Sardonic, cynical and with the political leanings of a social reformer, I’m also a toy and model figure collector, particularly interested in the history of plastics and plastic toys. Other interests are history, current affairs, modern art, and architecture, gardening and natural history. I love plain chocolate, fireworks and trees, but I don’t hug them, I do hug kittens. I hate ignorance, when it can be avoided, so I hate the 'educational' establishment and pity the millions they’ve failed with teaching-to-test and rote 'learning' and I hate the short-sighted stupidity of the entire ruling/industrial elite, with their planet destroying fascism and added “buy-one-get-one-free”. Likewise, I also have no time for fools and little time for the false crap we're all supposed to pretend we haven't noticed, or the games we're supposed to play. I will 'bite the hand that feeds', to remind it why it feeds.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

U is for Unknown Military subjects

So, on to proper soldiers! I'll start with some sailors!

These are almost certainly Hong Kong manufacture, they came as a group of about 20, only the two poses, and before you ask; most have been given away or used as swaps. My feeling though is they must have gone with a larger vessel or play-set, with the hope that brings, of a 'Name'. [Beginning to think they might be policemen not sailors?]

They are not Delux Reading, nor are they from the Remco/Thomas sets, anyone know where they did come from?

These are modern, marked "CHINA" and are very soft PVC vinyl, a really nice set of US paratroops, including one with a Mohican's Hair-do! All this new production comes with some sort of play-set or carded vehicle, can anyone put a name to these?

This chap is quite unusual, when I first saw him sculling around in the bottom of a bag of mixed crap I thought 'Aurora 1:48 scale tank', but upon closer inspection began to think WWI Aircraft kit? He is a British or US WWI officer with pistol and puttees (or high riding boots?), in an 'Aurora' type pale-khaki coloured plastic, but the base - under the paint - is a perfectly bevel-edged clear polystyrene square. [He is in fact the Japanese Officer from the Aurora 1:48 scale Chi-Ha medium tank kit, lesson - always go with your first impression/gut instinct!]

A right mixed bag this lot - Top left is a factory painted US tank commander, probably from a battery operated toy, but which one? there were hundreds! Next to him is a soft plastic generic military figure, similar to the first figures Airfix produced, but I suspect Soviet Russia or an early Japanese toy. Below them to the left - is another factory painted crewman from a toy vehicle - looks like a gunner [he is a gunner - unpainted version now Here], and next to him is the same figure as made by Ideal, however they were red or Blue, with two little release-pin marks in the base, this fella is khaki and has a flat base, still - I'm guessing - another US manufacturer? [Ideal are linked with Auburn and Lido...and Galoob Micromachines!!]

On the right are 4 vinyl/hard silicone caricatures of London types, clearly aimed at the tourist market, but what/why/when. They could be pre-production samples of key-rings? [Painted one with attached key-ring/fob confirms suspicion]

3 comments:

peter said...

Hello Hugh,
I was hoping you could help with identifying some figures, but it seems that you don't know them too. I'm speeking about those sailors (policemen?) in the first picture. Someone at Benno's Figures Forum is asking what figures it are. And there are a few more poses. You can see them here: http://bennosfiguresforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=25965&p=286797&sid=070e4a4414c6137c419bb29c1f3ea9c6#p286797
Greetings,
Peter

Hugh Walter said...

Hi Peter, sorry, I didn't get an eMail alert for your comment and just found it dealing with a spam commennt!

I have since found them in sky-blue too, with a couple more poses, but not as many as you friend, ad i used to think they were sailors, but me and Vic Rudik decided they must be copes as the chap running looks like he's snatched a bag! But seeing the larger sample, they clearly are sailors, but where from I still don't know!

If I can find your eMail, I'll send you the picture.

H

Hugh Walter said...

I've eMailed you an image Peter, there may be a connection with Fishel, but I don't know what or why, the image is numbered for a Blog post, but I seem to have not published it, so the title may be post specific rather than figure specific?

H